The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
The skin of an aircraft typically provides aerodynamic surfaces on aircraft components such as wings and the fuselage. The skin of an aircraft fuselage may take different forms dependent on the structure of the fuselage. Most aircraft fuselage structures of the commonly-used “semi-monocoque” type have a skin to which stringers and frames are typically added to stabilize the skin. The skin itself typically is thickened, or stiffened, to avoid buckling under some load conditions. Truss fuselage structures typically have a membrane skin made from a thin, relatively elastic material such as cloth.